Purple vines spiral in from the edge of the tree pit, thick on the outside and thinning as they twist inward. The entire mass of vines forms a circle, winding into the center, and Lord Wraith's ornate robe hangs on a spot closer to the outside. I peer inside—the vines, though slender, seem to contain something within, a tangle of colorful shapes.
I looked around. The tree pit was large, but only about seven or eight meters deep. I followed the vines and walked forward; the further I went, the thinner the vines beneath my feet became.
I was getting closer and closer to the center, my heart growing tense. After all, there were only three hours left until eight o'clock—it was already five in the morning. I should have been looking for a way out, but a voice inside seemed to urge me onward, drawing me toward the middle of the tree pit.
Suddenly, I reached a thick cluster of vines, spiraling and tangled together. I couldn't see what was inside—my view blocked by the vines. There was about a meter-wide gap beyond. With a leap, I jumped across, grabbed a vine, and then, as if stepping on a staircase, began to climb down.
In just a few minutes, I reached the bottom of the seven or eight meter deep pit. Suddenly, my eyes widened—a head, like the bark of an ancient tree, protruded from the earth. Its skin was rough, pitch-black, patchy like tree bark, mouth agape, and the vines seemed to emerge right from its mouth.
I looked closer—it was Lord Wraith, right here. My heart skipped a beat, leaving me frozen in place. At this moment, Lord Wraith sat quietly, as if asleep.
Suddenly, my heart jolted—this was a chance. I tugged at the purple vine; it was incredibly tough, not budging at all.
I could see what was inside, but getting in was extremely difficult. I tried releasing some baleful energy, and sure enough, the purple vine instantly absorbed it all.
I sat down on the ground, my stomach growling with hunger. I rested for a moment, unable to understand why Lord Wraith was here, seemingly unconscious. Hugh Thompson had once said he cared deeply about what John Chou had mentioned.
Lord Wraith could not become a Ghost Sovereign because his spirit was too petty.
A sharp pain began to throb in my palm, as if thousands of tiny needles were stabbing into it. The baleful energy started to flow in my hand, but this time, the vine before me didn’t absorb it.
In my mind, the blood-red, slender sword I conjured when fighting the Black and White Impermanence began to take shape once again. The vine sensed something and tightened, blocking out the sight of the Ghost Rakshasa. The gaps between the vines closed, forming a solid wall.
Heat surged through my body, reminiscent of the time Mia Ji took me to find medicine. I clutched my chest and crouched, blood-red mist spilling out around me, while black baleful energy clung to my skin.
I screamed, the pain like countless needles stabbing me. The blood-red sword in my hand was only half formed.
Hold on. I have to find a way to end this—now.
In my mind flashed the images of the Azure Ghosts at the Banquet of Ten Thousand Ghosts, their fear of Yin Choujian, especially when blood-drenched ghost domains were mentioned—their faces changed color instantly.
Shrouded in blood-red mist, the sword in my right hand continued to take shape, nearly complete.
A hot stream ran down my left cheek from my eye.
Do you have a death wish?
That cold voice echoed in my mind. Suddenly, Snowy floated out of my body, her face twisted in terror as she stared at me.
"Brother, your eye—your left eye—it's turned red."
Startled, I touched my cheek with my left hand, then quickly pulled away, feeling a boiling sensation against my skin.
I screamed again, a burning sensation engulfing me, as if my entire body was submerged in flames.
"Brother, what are you doing?"
"Snowy, please, go up and tell the others."
As I spoke, I handed the sap and the two Rakshasa fruits—one green, one purple—to Snowy. She looked at me with worry, clearly reluctant to leave.
"Snowy, listen to me. Ruoxi is in danger. Take these back up and tell everyone that I'm working on a way to deal with the Ghost Rakshasa."
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Finally, Snowy floated upward, tears in her eyes, flying back to the surface.
I continued desperately trying to form the blood-red sword in my hand. This time, I didn't recite any incantation, but the burning pain was nearly enough to make me faint.
Suddenly, the blood-red mist around me surged back into my body. The sword in my right hand was finally complete. I knelt on one knee, struggling to stay upright.
All at once, a flash of purple light appeared under my feet, and a mass of purple sludge oozed out. I reacted instantly, fighting through the pain, leaping back and swinging my sword at the purple vine.
With a swish, my blood-red sword sliced open a wide gash. Black sap hissed from the vine, evaporating into black smoke around the sword.
I stepped forward, slashing down with my sword. The purple sludge vanished instantly, and I charged in, sword at the ready.
The Ghost Rakshasa was right in front of me, less than three meters away. I leaped up, aiming my sword at his head, and stabbed.
A creaking sound, like wood grinding, echoed as the Ghost Rakshasa opened his eyes—purple-black and glaring—his head twisting to face me.
"Zhang Qingyuan..." A piercing howl erupted as my sword stabbed into the Ghost Rakshasa's skull with a crack.
The Ghost Rakshasa shrieked and thrashed, shaking everything around us. Rakshasa fruits rained down, and the whole tree trembled violently. I gripped my sword tightly as a withered, wooden hand reached up and clamped onto it.
I couldn't move at all. Panic rose as my body weakened. With a snap, two gnarled, branch-like hands locked around my wrists, holding me fast.
"Zhang Qingyuan, you want to kill me? Ha ha ha, don't even think about it. No one can. Hmph, you actually managed to find me here."
"Die!"
Thinking of Rachel Lan, rage exploded in me. I roared, slashing my blood-red sword with all my strength.
"Ha ha ha, you're thinking of that woman from the Underworld, aren't you, Zhang Qingyuan? Remember, she's mine now. I'll keep her trapped under me forever, never to be reborn. Ha ha ha, Zhang Qingyuan..."
"You sick freak, shut up!"
Baleful energy poured from my body. In my left hand, a sword of baleful energy formed, but the cold and burning sensations nearly overwhelmed me.
I struggled to stand, but my legs buckled, refusing to obey.
"You managed to find me—impressive. But do you really think your half-baked blood baleful power can hurt me? You're not even one ten-thousandth of Yin Choujian. Watch closely..."
With a snap, I stared wide-eyed as my blood-red sword dissolved into bloody dust in a burst of purple light. The baleful sword in my left hand vanished the moment it touched the Ghost Rakshasa.
A gurgling sound came from the ground as purple sludge bubbled up. I started to sink, and the Ghost Rakshasa's form emerged before me, his face like old bark, twisted in a vicious grin.
"Heh, I'm not going to kill you so easily. I want you to watch, Zhang Qingyuan, as your woman suffers beneath me. Just thinking about it feels wonderful..."
Suddenly, I widened my eyes as the memory of Wu Xiaoli flashed in my mind over and over. I shouted at the top of my lungs.
"Ghost Rakshasa—!"
"Ha ha ha, you're thinking about that woman from the Underworld, aren't you, Zhang Qingyuan? Remember, she's mine now. I'll keep her beneath me for eternity, never to be reborn. Ha ha ha, Zhang Qingyuan..."
"You sick freak, shut up!"
Baleful energy surged from my body. In my left hand, a sword of baleful energy formed, but the mix of cold and burning agony was almost too much to bear.
I struggled to stand, but my legs bent beneath me, refusing to obey.
"You managed to find me—impressive. But do you really think your half-baked blood baleful power can hurt me? You're not even one ten-thousandth of Yin Choujian. Watch closely..."
With a snap, my eyes widened as the blood-red sword in a burst of purple light turned to bloody dust and vanished. The baleful sword in my left hand disappeared the instant it touched the Ghost Rakshasa.
A gurgling sound came from the ground as purple sludge bubbled up. I began to sink, and the Ghost Rakshasa's form slowly emerged before me, his face like ancient bark twisted in a cruel grin.
"Heh, I'm not going to kill you so easily. I want you to watch, Zhang Qingyuan, as your woman suffers beneath me. Just the thought of it is delightful..."
Suddenly, my eyes widened as memories of Wu Xiaoli resurfaced again and again. I screamed.
"Ghost Rakshasa—!"